Unspeakable Change
by littlefuzzball
Summary: The Unspeakables were a highly trained, highly secret underground organization working towards enlightenment and the betterment of the Wizarding World... So what do you do when everything you know is just an illusion?
1. Chapter 1

Hello Everyone! I know it's been AGES! Since I have posted anything to . But here is a brain child that I've been working on for sometime. This is AU, and is kinda slow at the moment. This is SLASH! Severus Snape with an OMC. Don't like it? Don't care. Feed back is always appreciated and as always anything that you recognize is the property of someone else. Please enjoy, I have several more chapters already written but there are two I have to tackle before I can post them. The first fifteen chapters or so are sort of "background" knowledge. Little snippets (that ALL ended up longer than I wanted originally) that give you important little clues to where I'm attempting to take the characters that are oh so familiar.

And with that, on to the beginning!

P.S. The title is a working title, if anyone has a better idea I'd love to hear it.

~LittleFuzzBall

Unspeakable Change (Prologue)

The Department of Mysteries had been founded so very long ago that even those whose job it was to remember such things, had forgotten. It was remembered that the Ministry of Magic had been formed, at least in part, to conceal the existence of the Unspeakables. Those noble elite who resided, down in the lowest levels of the Ministry shrouded in secret. It was here that the greatest minds for every known subject, and some that were not so known, gathered and studied. Researching the wonders of the universe and creating new ones. These discoveries were housed alongside the Ministry's census records in the very bottom most level of the ministry simply called the Archives.

Here among thousands of years of history and knowledge the secrets of the Unspeakables were kept in a slim simply bound blue notebook without title. Within it's pages was contained a spell that when activated would designate the next man or woman who was destined to attain the most coveted title of Head of the Department of Mysteries. A simple quote annotated in the front of the cover gave both a warning and a promise. "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster and, that when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." No author was listed, nor when the quote was written but it's wisdom had guided the head of the Department of Mysteries through the last century which had included two great muggle wars, two Dark Lords and Albus Dumbledore.

Contained also, within the book's covers, was a list of the branches and divisions housed within the Department. One such division was ominously called the Shadow Guard. This was the only division listed within the books pages that was not accompanied by a description of the duties and responsibilities. Many had assumed that this was because the division had been closed before the book had been authored and so it was unknown what precisely was the purpose of the Shadow Guard. The knowledge fell to the head of the Department to bear the understanding that the Shadow Guard had been born to fulfill those tasks that were considered covert or heinous in nature. The Shadow Guard existed outside of the arm of the law and their sole responsibility was first to protect the wizarding world from all threats both foreign and domestic. The Shadow Guard could have prevented Grindelwald and Voldemort except that at some point at the turn of the century the Shadow Guard had ceased to exist without explanation.

Rumor was that in 1918 that the last team of the Shadow Guard had been betrayed by a fellow Unspeakable denied entry to their ranks and like rats, they had been hunted one by one and exterminated. Thirteen men and women who had been trained to be nothing more than the shadows that creep across the floors each and every day simply turned up dead with no explanation as to how they had arrived at the state. No two of them had been killed in the same manner and it was agreed upon that the person who had stooped to such terrible measures was akin to a rabid dog, to be put down like one when he or she were caught. The search had gone on for longer than most had thought it would but as no proof of these events had ever been found, and the journals that each was required to keep had never been recovered, the search was eventually given up. One would think that such a mysterious end to the premier assassins of the turn of the century would have raised more questions, yet the Wizarding World has a habit of taking horrible unexplained mysteries that they should investigate to the furthest of their ability and forgetting about them entirely.

Still the world continued to revolve around the sun and soon days turned into weeks and weeks into years. Then the Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald rose to power with his talk of freedom for witches and wizards, of an end to the International Statute of Secrecy, of wizardkind ruling over the inferior muggles. Hundreds of witches and wizards rallied before his banner and to his mantra "For the Greater Good". Those who supported his cause were drawn into acts of extreme violence by his charm and his powers of oration. Such a powerful terrible distraction allowed the Shadow Guard to simply fade into history without any recourse for the heinous actions that had been taken against them. Seasons upon seasons passed with little impact in the world but life was going to change, some change had already happened. Soon after the entrapment of Grindelwald within the walls of his stone fortress Nurmengard in 1945, Albus Dumbledore arose to become the embodiment of all things Light to the Wizarding World; cementing the thought that all the Wizarding World needed was a savior to protect them from the evils of the world. During one interrogation, Grindelwald admitted that most of the plans of his domination of the Wizarding world had come from the brain of Albus Dumbledore, a fact that the Ministry silenced. It was struck from official records, the Auror's who had heard Grindelwald's words had been obliviated and a campaign was begun to ensure that every witch and wizard knew the name Dumbledore and knew that he was their hero.

Things would be quiet for a time after that, until Tom Riddle took up the mantle of Grindelwald's mantra and began a much bloodier more terrorizing quest for the greater good of wizarding kind. Little did anyone know that a set of mistreated, misfit teenagers would be the spark that would bring the attention of the department of mysteries crashing into the past in a last ditch effort to stem the rising tide of malicious slaughter thus commencing a set of events that had been foretold a thousand years ago.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Where we meet our Hero

Oswald Ignatius Prince had seen his grandson only once before the funeral for his daughter and had at the first meeting been impressed despite himself at the tenacity of the small tyke. It was obvious to Oswald that his daughter and her filthy muggle husband couldn't provide for the small child, and it was even more apparent to the man that they also didn't care one way or another if the child survived to adulthood, for Severus had been malnourished, filthy and had possessed the social skills of an animal. But despite the obvious neglect if not outright abuse the child was enduring Severus was surviving. At the funeral for his daughter he had been impressed again with the child, though still malnourished, filthy and now excessively poorly dressed there was a fierce pride that burned in the bottom of the Prince black eyes. Both pride and a hunger to better himself, to be more than the filthy freak who lived in the last row house on Spinner's End.

Twice Oswald had approached Tobias Snape with the intent of taking his grandson, and twice the man had refused to listen. Oswald was not a patient man and had tried to do things the legal way. But the Prince family had never been one to follow the rules, nor had they ever suffered an insult such as the one Tobias offered every time he slammed the door in the face of the aging Lord. So when he arrived for his third attempt he did not knock, nor did he provide any sort of polite discussion about compensation. No he merely walked through the door and killed the man. No regret, no remorse. Looking at his grandson he merely said

"Let that be a lesson to you son, no one insults a Prince, not even kin, and lives to tell the tale." Severus had looked at him with cold black eyes nearly engulfed by the two black eyes that had to be the result of a broken nose and nodded once. Oswald grinned wolfishly. His daughter might have been his greatest disappointment but it was beginning to look like his grandson, would be his greatest achievement.

Eight year old Severus Snape had never known comfort until he arrived at the Prince Estate, and then he was nearly drowned in it. The rules had started the moment he appeared on the doorstep with his grandfather. He was a halfblood of a prestigious pureblood line and he would learn what that meant so that when he attended Hogwarts he would be a credit to his ancient family name. The first week was the worst, with the house elves forcefully bathing him every morning before he was allowed down to breakfast. When he stopped fighting them and bathed himself they then started in on what he was to wear, forcefully dressing him each morning. Sometimes undressing him if he had accomplished the feat himself but in a manner that wasn't pleasing to them. When he realized that his grandfather didn't care if he wore all black every day as long as he looked the part of a well born pureblood things got a little easier. His grandfather never asked why he always wore black, and Severus never let on that he couldn't see the colors well enough to determine if they matched or not.

After breakfast began his lessons. Some were taught by tutors, some were taught by his Grandfather. He enjoyed the dueling lessons immensely for it gave him a constructive way to let off some of his frustrations without getting into trouble with his grandfather for being disrespectful. He knew the consequences of that better than any others. He knew his lessons would be cancelled for the rest of the day, he would get his mouth washed out with soap by a house elf, and then he would be required to write out an apology with all the pomp and circumstance required of one pureblood apologizing to another of equal or greater station to his grandfather for the infraction before he would be allowed his supper and his books back.

This schedule continued for three years until his Hogwarts letter arrived. Than he was promptly escorted to Diagon Alley to procure his school supplies and a new wand. Severus didn't really understand why he needed a new wand, the one he was using felt perfect in his hand. It was a dark rosewood nearly black with a red tint that soothed him. His grandfather had said that the core was a basilisk plume. It was 9 and a half inches and rigid in it's movement. Severus hadn't survived the last three years by picking fights with his grandfather though, so he kept his mouth shut and his head held high. Once he had the new wand he would negotiate to keep the old one, as a just in case situation. His grandfather liked it when he thought outside the rules of right or wrong and was forever saying that right and wrong was only for gryffindors and girls. Severus was determined to prove once and for all that he was neither.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Introduction of a VERY IMPORTANT Original Character. -LFB

Wind swept dusky red hair and moss green eyes stared back from the mirror shining with a disgust that was rarely seen on any of the Broadmoor faces. But Rowan wasn't a normal Broadmoor. No he was apparently a prodigy, the first Broadmoor in fifty years that could speak to and command the plants of the moorland in northern Ireland where his ancestral home was located, as if they were lifelong friends. To Rowan, the plants were his lifelong friends. The moors had understood him when his pureblood mother, who hadn't grown up alongside the moors and hadn't heard to stories from the muggles about his family that they whispered on dark stormy nights that they were demons or gods who could command the moors to do their bidding, would attempt to force her expectations on him about what a pureblood son should be. The Broadmoor family took its name from the same moorland that had kept their family safe from muggles for untold numbers of generations.

Rowan Broadmoor was the second of three children, an unheard of number of children for a pureblood witch to bear, and was the first Broadmoor in six generations to receive an invitation to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So he had been dressed by the house elves in his best dress slacks, itchy wool socks, painful dress shoes, a shirt that felt like it had been starched within an inch of his life and robes that he was sure had been a christmas gift but had never been worn. He typically wore a pair of well worn leather breeches, no shoes, a loose linen shirt that was the same as the stable hands wore and a green jerkin over top of that. All and all he usually looked like he had stepped out of a folk tale. Whenever he strayed close to the muggles they whispered about the return of the godling Pan and tended to give him a wide berth. They had started leaving him little gifts of food at the cave he frequented when the rain started coming down too hard for him to walk safely through the moorland. In return for their generosity he had taken to carving little god figures and giving them a touch of magic and leaving them in the same place they left the food. He figured that if he left items that looked like their god than they would be more likely to take them and the magic in the little stones would bring them some measure of luck. It felt like a fair trade to him.

When his father had found out what he had been doing Rowan had feared punishment for getting too close to the muggles. He knew he was suppose to avoid them but sometimes the moorlands led him to the muggles without allowing him to keep away as he had been told since he was the same size as his baby sister Hazel, who was due to turn three in a few weeks. His father had taken a different route though when Rowan had told him that the moorlands were leading him to the muggles. Specifically ones who were in some sort of small trouble that Rowan could help them out of. His father had gotten a strange look on his face at that and had sat Rowan down to tell him a tale of the first moorland walkers.

The story had started with the moors being a once terrible, untamable place. Then his ancestor Anona had fled her Christian prosecutors seeking refuge from their cruelty ending up in a small cave not far into the moors where she had run out of strength and collapsed. Sobbing her heart out and fearing that at any moments her captors would find her once more, Anona wept herself into a restless sleep, too weary and too hurt to continue on. When she woke sitting beside her tending the tiniest fire Anona had ever seen was a woman who seemed to be ancient and yet at the same time just at the cusp of adulthood whose mane of dusky red hair and moss green eyes sparkled with the misty rain and mischief in equal parts. The woman told Anona that she was the keeper of the moors and she had been looking for someone strong and cunning to take up the task as she was getting too old to be keeping track of lost travelers. The old woman had then asked Anona if she would consent to being bound to the moors for her entire life in exchange for her safety from the Christians seeking to burn the world. That was the story of the founding of the Broadmoor line. Rowan was more than inclined to believe the story as he looked just like the portrait of Anona that sat sleeping on the topmost level of the library.

Glancing back at the mirror Rowan scowled again at the picture he made of the perfect pureblood scion. His older brother Ash would probably laugh until he cried because Ash had somehow made it past the landmark age of eleven without receiving a letter. At least Rowan assumed he hadn't received a letter because his had shown up at breakfast announcing to the entire family that he had been accepted to Hogwarts. His mother unfortunately for Rowan would hear nothing about his declining the invitation even though the last thing he wanted was to go gallivanting off the moor to some unknown castle in the middle of nowhere scotland. His mother had insisted and since she insisted on so little his father had agreed to her demands so now Rowan was on his way to Diagon Alley to purchase his things for school.

Diagon Alley was a nightmare of screaming children, yelling adults and pushing as Rowan followed his mother from store to store gathering the needed items on the list provided with acceptance letter. The last stop was Ollivanders for his wand. He had protested the stop as Broadmoor's had always used the wands that had been in their family for generations. They had an entire room dedicated to the storage of family wands. But again his mother insisted. So there they were stepping into the dusty dark shop filled with so much magic that it gave him a headache at the base of his skull. The old wandmaker appear out of nowhere and gazed him with an unreadable look before he said

"A Broadmoor, I would know your family anywhere young sir. It is curious as to why you are here when the Broadmoor's always take care of their own. There has never been a witch or wizard who has come into my shop that has left without a wand though so let us begin."

Hours later, back in the comfortable safety of his home Rowan plotted to betray the trust of his father. He was going to sneak into the wand room and find his true match. The wand that Ollivander had said was a fit felt like he was putting on a pair of gloves missing a finger or several sizes too small. He wasn't sure which one worked better. Watching the shadows of his room lengthen until the hour was very small and the house felt like it was holding a figurative breath. He stepped softly out of his room on to the plush carpets that ran the length of the main hall. Rowan silently made his way to the one room that had always been forbidden to him. The wand room where the magical history and every wand made specifically for the Broadmoor's resided when not in use by a family member. The door was ornate, beautifully carved with the Broadmoor coat of arms. A solid green shield bisected by a white chevron a cypress tree to the right, an oak on the left and over it all was an owl in flight. Rowan ran his fingers over the little details of the owl. He had always held a great respect for the image of his family and felt a little like he was betraying a sacred trust by sneaking around as he was. Taking a deep breath he looked at the owl and whispered

"Show me the way, silent hunter, to be all that is destine for me." He watched as the owl's eyes opened and seemed to stare through him for a few moments before there was a click and the door to the wand room opened. He pushed it open holding his breath that the doors wouldn't squeak. He had no idea when the last time the door had been opened and let out a sigh of utter relief when the door swung open, and shut, soundlessly. Stepping inside his breath caught once more. Stacked floor to ceiling along the wall to his left were wand boxes, the magic in each wand singing a gentle song of welcome. To the right were the same simple brown leather books that had resided on his father's desk for as long as he could remember. Running his fingers over their spins he could almost taste the weight of history their pages contained. He wanted more than anything to take the books down one by one and read through the trials and tribulations his family had endured over the long years of their existence. But that wasn't what he was there for, he was there to find his wand. The one that would fit him and his magic and allow for him to reach or exceed his true potential. Turning to the back wall he was shocked to see a portrait of a woman smiling down on him. She looked both ancient and young at the same time. Her dark green eyes were filled with mischief as she gave him a once over and asked

"A wee lad! Who dares come before me, sneaking as a thief in the dark?" Rowan gaped at her and as her words registered panicked saying

"Please don't tell my father!" The woman in the portrait frowned at him and said voice calm and curious

"You'd best be telling me the whole story laddie, I'm not in the habit of denying my protection to those who earn it. So tell me why should I keep your secret?" Rowan took a deep breath and pondered where to start. Finally he looked at the floor and started his tale.

"Great Lady when I was three I ran away into the moors, because the house elf set to watching me had been called away and I could hear the singing on the moors. I am told they searched for me for two days and two nights only for me to appear seemingly out of thin air back in my crib. A note was left in an elegant unknown hand warning my parents that if they lost me again that the fair folk would keep me. Since then strange things have always happen around me. Especially on the moors. The plants reach for me and react to my presence unlike anything my family has ever seen before. Sometimes, I can hear them in my head as well. And I always know what they want. Two days ago I received a letter from Hogwarts and despite my protest I will be sent away to begin my training as a wizard. My mother, though a pureblood, ignores the traditions of the Broadmoor family in her delight of her second son being accepted to attend her alma mater. My family is my strength, and my families strength is in the moors. It disgusts me that I am being forced to walk a path not of my choosing. I came here to see if there was a wand more suited to myself than the ministry approved one that Ollivander provided. No matter what the man said it does not fit my magic, it feels as if I'm trying to put on a glove that doesn't fit." Rowan looked up at the woman a fire in his eyes and finished with

"If I'm going to walk a path that leads me away from the protection of the moors than I want to do so with every advantage the long history of my family can provide me, whether my mother believes it necessary or not." Rowan watched the woman in the picture throw her head back and laugh at him. A deep earthy rasping laugh, like the winds over the moors, honest and chilling. She smiled down at him and said cryptically

"Finally a son worthy to bear the name. Find your armor child, your path is indeed one not of your choosing and it will not be an easy one. Rest assured that you will always find your way home. A word of advice from an old portrait, seek out the one of darkness, he will be walking a path just as dark and dangerous as yours. You will benefit from his knowledge as he will benefit from your protection. May ní mór dúinn i gcónaí ar an airdeall guide your soul." Rowan bowed his head, the family motto rang through his head as if it were in and of itself magic. We must always be vigilant rather than a latin phrase some would have considered more appropriate Semper Vigilans or always vigilant. Turning to the wall housing the wands he held out his hand as he had been taught when he was very small and his father was still interested in showing him the ways of wild magic allowing just a trickle of magic to wisp out from his fingers. He focused entirely on his desire for a partner equal to him, that would be able to keep up with his ever changing magic for Rowan was more like the moors than anyone wanted to admit to him. Always changing and unpredictable in his reactions to those around him. A song that he hadn't heard since he was child afraid of the dark started in a corner of his mind and slowly drew him forward until his fingers touched a solid wooden box near the floor. He gently pulled the box out from the shelf and opened it. Inside the cover was written a description about the wand he now held. Wondering he read the inscription aloud, hoping the portrait would help him once more.

"Cypress sapwood harvested from the burial yard, phoenix tears and Griffin feather, ten inches, rather encompassing. A very good wand for defense." Looking back at the portrait he was shocked to find her smiling, open and accepting, at him. Before he could say anything else she told him

"Take good care of my friend, you will be his third partner. The first was your ancestor Anona, the founder." And with that she stepped out of the portrait and Rowan decided that he had tempted his father's wrath long enough. Creeping back to his room seemed anti-climatic. Looking at the pale nearly white wand he noticed a subtle and delicate carving of ivy leaves intertwining around the wand from top to bottom and in the half light of twilight there seemed to be a green sheen to the varnish. Rowan smiled and placed the wand in his trunk. It felt like he was ready to face the future. He knew the cypress wand would never betray him and would never fail him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Feel the Touch of the Other World

It hurt to sit in the shadow of a tree so near the humans and their cold iron. It created a feeling as if her blood was boiling in her veins. But she had discovered a fae child, one who would bear watching. If it had been the olden days the child would have been stolen in her crib and a changeling left to die in her place. The red haired delicate beauty would have been stolen away to the Sidhe on the other side of the mounds. She would have been raised as an elf and married to a fairy. They had been too long out of the world though and the fae children were now called muggleborns and were integrated into the magical wizarding society. The elf snorted to herself and decided that at least the fae children had magic that would count for something. It wouldn't be their full potential or the grace and poise of fairy magics but it was something.

The delicate child was named Lily she had learned. The elf had been attracted to the child due to the sparkle of magic she created when swinging in the park down the street from her home. The park was mostly manicured green lands which while not comfortable to one who was used to the untamed wild lands under the mounds was still less painful than being anywhere near the child's home. Sometimes the child had a dark boy with her one that reeked of blood and magic. The elf could sense a great destiny in the dark child and her heart ached for one so small and thin with such a destiny upon his shoulders. The red haired child Lily also had a great destiny, which is what kept drawing her back to the human world, to the innocent child in front of her. The child would need a wand. The elf could sense trouble brewing in the hearts of men and it did not mean good things for the little sprite on the swings.

Her mind made up she faded away from the park and back into the mounds. It would be there that she would fashion a wand that would forever more be a companion to the sparkle of magic that was growing in Lily. A proper wand would help her achieve everything that she had ever thought possible. Days and weeks passed for the elf with no consequence, she knew time flowed differently in the Sidhe but didn't allow it to bother her. One wrong move and she would have to start over again and that would be a disaster.

She had bartered for a length of blessed yew, the pale golden color please her, reminding her of a beam of sunlight. Once the yew was ready for a core she stopped. She didn't know what would work best with the child's magic. And wouldn't be able to get close enough to test it until she was ready to give the wand to the child. She would only get one chance to talk to the child before she would have to spend many years hidden in the Other worlds to repair the damage it would do to her when she stepped out of the shadows and fully into the world of the humans. It was then that the Queen of the Fae visited her.

"Moira, I see you are hard at work. A gift I feel? For a fae child? An interesting choice of diversion." The elf, Moira, nodded her head and said

"I have watched the child several times. Her magic drew me as it sparkled in the light. She bears a great destiny, and her companion bears an even greater one." The Queen nodded and said

"So it is the human way. You know this. Why get involved in their strife?" Moira sighed and replied

"It feels right and she was a gift of the maker to non-magical parents. They will not know she is something special. Not even the magical folk of the human world will understand that there is something special to her." The Queen nodded and said

"If the times were different she would have been brought to my side and trained as the next regent. But these are new times, strange times, difficult times. Perhaps it is time to interfere again, at least in some small ways. I will aid you in this project Moira, as you have never asked anything of myself or my consort. I will give you a drop of my blood, a hair from my head and a feather from my cloak to place in that exquisite length of Seelie yew that you have so tenderly readied for this." Moira nodded it was not unheard of that the Queen of the Fae would assist them in their endeavors but rarely for a human and almost never to offer aid to a human. Not when humans had so disfigured her brother with cold iron that he was banished from the court and could not show his face for a thousand years. Still Moira smiled as the gifts were handed over and thanked the Queen of the Fae in a distracted way. Missing the glint of amusement from the Queen as she took her leave, Moira was once more engrossed in the delicate process of creating. She was so enthralled with creating the wand that she didn't hear the Queen whisper

"Create well little elf, for I shall raise you up higher than any other of your kind in our history. For you are brave and beautiful and kind hearted. Everything I want in a successor." And then the Queen of the Fae was gone. Leaving Moira once more undisturbed to her work.

The return to the park down the street from the small childs home was delightfully uneventful, so Moira watched and waited. But time had passed, now the child was no longer so tiny. She was still small but had a presence about her that proclaimed for all who knew how to see such things that she was a leader and a queen in her own right. Moira was forcefully reminded of the words of the Fairy Queen, of how if times were different that this little girl would have been chosen as the next Queen of the Fae. She had been waiting since first light. This was the one day that she would be able to cross from the shadows with the least amount of damage to herself. It was midsummer and the shadows were at that shortest. She was counting on the child to still frequent the little park.

Hours later her patience was rewarded as the red headed child came walking around the bend right at the little hollow tree that Moira had made her hiding place. It couldn't have been more perfect if Moira had cast a gathering charm on the child. Moira eased her way fully into the world as the child snuck into the little hollow. Hoping not to scare her too much. She watched as the child took in her appearance. Dark nearly black skin, eyes as golden as the punishing sun above and a head of hair as blue as the cloudless sky. Moira knew she was beautiful in a strange exotic sort of way. Fear was quickly replaced with curiosity as the girl moved farther into the hollowed tree. Moira smiled and said

"Good, you are brave. We like the brave. Do you know me child?" The little head shook itself in a negative manner before Lily said voice small and sweet

"I don't know anyone like you." Moira nodded and said

"As well you shouldn't. I am called Moira, which means destiny and I have been watching you since you were very small." The child in front of her smiled prettily and asked

"Why did I never see you? I always see the others watching. The men who shimmer and stand about on the corners watching us and Severus. Severus doesn't see them but I do. He said I was making things up so I ran into one once, to see if they were real. I'm not sure who was more surprised. Me or the shimmer man. I ran away though. He couldn't keep up. He waved a stick at me which I now know is a wand. Apparently he tried to cast some magic on me but he must have missed because nothing happened." Moira nearly growled but restrained herself. It was the past and there was nothing she could do to change it. What she could do was give the child an additional gift to the wand that she had made for the girl. For sight like what the child described should be rewarded. She smiled down at the red head and said

"Clever you, little one. Now I am here to give you a gift, it is one you must keep secret from all who want to know about it. My people do not come into this world easily, in fact this is the last time you will ever see me, I will be watching and if you learn how to see through the shadows to our homeland than you might catch a glimpse of me. As such I present you with a wand, one that no man has ever touched made specifically with you in mind. Crafted by myself." And with that Moira handed over the yew wand. It was a beautiful golden color and the addition of the Fairy Queen's hair, blood and cloak feather had added a dark coffee color to the grain lines. Those lines spiraled around the wand giving it the look of a unicorns horn. The moment that Lily's hand touch the wand a fierce wind took up in the hollowed tree and swirled around the girl as her eyes lit up with a light all their own. No sparks shot from the end of the wand but Moira could tell that no matter what wand the child had been given this one was perfectly suited to both the child and her magic. It would be a good partner for the girl. Moira leaned forward than as the child was still engrossed in the feeling of the wand in her hand and kissed the child on the forehead, transferring a gift of sight to the child. It was a good skill to have to be able to see past the games the mortals played and Moira would see that this child had every advantage that she could.

Grass green eyes looked up into her own golden eyes and the little child said awe evident in her voice,

"Thank you, this is the best gift anyone's ever given me." Moira nodded and said

"Keep it clean, well oiled and warm and it will never fail you. The next time you see me child will be when you are crossing out of this world and into another. I will meet you at the borders and give you the choice of your eternity. Goodbye my child. May you be ever bold and beautiful." And with that Moira faded back into the shadows and passed beyond the realms of mortals.

Awaiting her return was the Fairy Queen though. The other smiled a bit at her as if it had been a long time since there had been anything to smile at and said

"A job well done. Now it is time for us to begin another path. I have chosen you as the next regent and there is much you have to learn before I pass beyond the final veil. Come my daughter it is time to take up your own destiny." And with that Moira was swept along on the arm of the Fairy Queen.

Back in the hollow tree Lily Evans looked at wand that the strange creature Moira had given her and just stared in wonder. The wand Ollivander had matched her with had felt like a friend but this wand sat snug in the palm of her hand, was warm to the touch and felt like just another part of her. Like she had done in Ollivanders shop she gave the wand a wave and from the end of it trailed a line of little lights in every color she could image that danced around like fireflies. She giggled and put the wand in her pocket for the trip back to her little bedroom. She would place the wand in her trunk and keep it a secret from everyone. Even from Sev, who was her best friend. This would be a secret between her and the creature Moira.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Whose your Savior now?

September first came far too soon for Rowan Broadmoor. There was nothing he wanted more than to forget entirely that he was being sent away from home for the next ten months. Oh he could return home for two weeks for christmas but it wasn't the same as being home for all of those little moments that were happening. Things like teaching Hazal to ride a broom or how to chase the little garden gnomes that kept the gardens weed free. But that wasn't to be as he stared at the red monstrosity that was the Hogwarts Express. Rowan shook his head, said a subdued good bye to his parents and proceeded to load himself and his belongings on the train. He had a vague hope that the inside would be less gaudy than the outside but it wasn't to be. He moved down the train and found a compartment without anyone else in it.

The seats were comfortable but their red coverings and the abundance of over shined brass left him with a slight headache and a feeling of being too warm. Settling down in a corner of the carriage he wrapped his arms around himself and wondered if there was any way to convince his parents that he really was unhappy and didn't want to attend. All was quiet for a few glorious moments before loud riotous laughter made its way from somewhere outside his compartment to him. Rowan scrunched up his nose in distaste when Sirius Black and James Potter sauntered past. They glanced into his compartment but didn't stop. Everyone knew about the Broadmoor's and their strange powerful magics. No true pureblood would dare to insult a Broadmoor. He listened as they opened a compartment a slight ways down the train and on the other side of the aisle. He couldn't make out their words but the laughter turned mocking. Rowan sighed and laid his head against the cool glass of the window hoping that whatever house he ended up in it wouldn't be with those two.

Sudden movement made Rowan look up as Potter and Black shoved a dark haired pale boy out of his compartment and threw his things after him. The boy looked a little older then Rowan himself but that also could be due to his height. Rowan got up to make sure that the other boy wasn't hurt by Potter and Black's handling of him. To his surprise he looked into eyes as black and depthless as the mirror lake that resided under his manor. He smiled slightly and asked

"Are you hurt?" The black eyes regarded him for a long moment before the other boy sneered at him and said

"I do not need your help or your pity." Rowan nodded and said

"I know, but I'm offering it all the same." That earned him a crooked twist of the other boys lips that could have counted as a smile. Rowan took it as a win and smiled down at the other boy and offered his hand to help the other boy up. When the black eyed boy was standing and Rowan was assured that there were no broken bones he said

"Why don't you join me in my compartment? It's only me in it at the moment and I wouldn't mind the company." The other boy hesitated and asked very very quietly

"Do you mind sharing with a friend of mine as well? She is suppose to meet me." Rowan looked at the other boy and nodded before he said

"She is more then welcome as well. Let's grab your stuff and move it in right quick and clear the aisle for others to move about." The black eyed boy nodded and moved to grab his trunk. Rowan grabbed a worn looking satchel and pointed out his compartment. Once they were both settled again Rowan took a deep breath and said

"I apologize for not introducing myself sooner. I'm Rowan Broadmoor." He watched as the black eyed boy's eyes widened in surprise before the boy said

"I am Severus Snape, from the Prince line." Rowan nodded, he remembered his mother talking about the boy in front of him. About how it must have been such a terrible blow to lose both parents in such a short time. He also remembered how she would go on and on and on to her lady friends during their weekly tea gatherings about how shameful that such a good pureblood name should be so ruined by a muggle of all things. Not even a muggleborn or halfblood. Just a muggle. Rowan smiled and said

"I've heard of you. I was sorry to hear about your parents." Rowan watched as Severus inclined his head, hiding behind his hair before the other boy said

"Thank you. I've heard of you as well. My Grandfather always said that the Broadmoor's were strange people with weird magic. Well he used less polite language, but that's what he meant." Rowan chuckled and said

"That is true enough. I'm the first in generations to be sent to Hogwarts. My older brother was home schooled and now works for St. Mungo's. My father wants to name him heir and call him home to take over the household. But Ash doesn't want anything to do with the moors or the estates so it looks like father will name me." Severus nodded and said

"Grandfather named me his heir when he took me in three years ago." Rowan nodded and said

"Shall we make a pact than? To always look out for each other?" Rowan watched the look of surprise run across Severus's face once more before the other boy said

"You don't mind that I'm a halfblood? That my father was a muggle?" Rowan smirked and said

"I'm not a pureblood either. The Broadmoor's have been quite the scandal a few times. Several of my ancestors took lovers from travelers passing through the moors. No weddings when you take up with a traveler and since very few travelers are wizards or witches that meant there were several halfblood children. We made it all the worse by not terminating the children or hiding them away. The Broadmoor's have always been proud of their children." Rowan saw Severus nodded and say

"Than lets agree to always watch each other's back, and to always be friends." Grinning he took Severus's offered hand and they shook on it. They were just settling back down into their seats when the door opened and a bright red head poked it's way in. The red hair was followed by vivid green eyes and a mischievous smile. The new comer came fully into the compartment and put her hands on her hips and said

"Severus Snape, I thought we had agreed to meet on the platform so I could finally introduce you to my parents?" Rowan watched as this petite girl thoroughly cowed his new friend and liked her instantly. He watched as Severus stood up and said

"My apologies Lily, I thought it might be better to get a compartment first so that we had somewhere to put our stuff first." Rowan smirked as the redhead huffed at Severus and said

"Well you could have told me that, I would have come and got you. Now we don't have enough time before the train leaves to do a proper introduction. I guess it will have to wait until winter holidays. You will not be getting out of meeting my parents Severus Tobias Snape." Still watching he noticed Severus's hesitation before the boy said

"As you wish Lily, may I introduce to you Rowan Broadmoor? He's a first year, like us." Rowan stood up and with all the charm of his mother he bowed slightly over her hand and gave it a gentle kiss. He smirked as she blushed the same color as her hair before he said

"It is a pleasure to meet such a radiant beauty as yourself, my lady. I hope our acquaintance will grow to be fruitful as friendship in the coming weeks." He stepped back and just caught the scowl on Severus's face before the other boy hide his feelings nearly as well as his brother did when his father was harping on Ash coming home to be the heir. Rowan made a mental note to talk to Severus later about the look. He didn't want anything coming between him and his new friend as he well remembered the words from the portrait in the wand room when he had snuck into get his wand about the one of darkness.

They settled down after that. Rowan learned that Lily was an Evans and a muggleborn. He also learned that she had bought a copy of Hogwarts: A History and had nearly memorized its contents. If that wasn't bad enough though he also learned that Severus Snape had already made mortal enemies out of James Potter and Sirius Black, whether the those individual's knew it or not was apparently completely besides the point. They had each brought their own lunch. Though when he saw the wide eyed looks from his companions when the snack cart came around he decided to splurge a bit and get a few of the more appealing candies for them all to share. It was a pleasure to watch the wonder Lily showed at the enchantments on the chocolate frogs.

It was several hours into the train ride that they next had a visitor. Lucius Malfoy, recognizable anywhere with his pale grey eyes and white blond hair, had apparently decided that as Head Boy he needed to introduce himself to all the first years that might be swayed to his side. He watched as Lucius looked over their group and completely dismiss both himself and Lily. Lily looked at him in a pointed way and raised an eyebrow in question. Shaking his head slightly he watched Lucius carefully. It wouldn't do to allow anyone to harm his new friend. Rowan scowled as Lucius looked Severus over with more interest than there probably should have been before the old boy stuck out his hand and said

"Lucius Malfoy. Rumor has it that you will be in Slytherin." Rowan frowned and asked

"Rumors are already spreading about the train about us?" Severus shook his head as he took Lucius's hand and said

"Severus Snape, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Rowan watched Lucius give a sly smile before the older boy said

"If you need anything my pretty little snake, just let me know and I'll point you in the right direction." Rowan frowned again but before he could say anything else Lucius left the compartment and they were left alone again. He watched as Lily burst out with her questions

"Who was he, why did he ignore Rowan and I, and why didn't you say anything Sev?" Severus sighed and sat back down looking at his hand for a moment before rubbing it on his pants like he had touched something repugnant. Rowan watched him look out the window focusing on the scenery moving by as he spoke

"Lucius Malfoy's father and my grandfather are good friends. They are in some social club together and I have been given strict instructions not to make a fool of myself to him. In Lucius Malfoy's world how magical your bloodline is directly correlates to how important you are and until my grandfather no longer has control of me I am expected to at the very minimum be polite and respectful. My grandfather is hoping for me to make a good enough impression with Lucius that the leader of their social club hears about me and makes an offer for me to join. I'm not entirely certain that's what I want, from the stories it's not so much a club as a cult but life is easier with my grandfather when one does what he asks without question." Rowan nodded but noticed that Lily still looked confused. She didn't ask anything else though, just went back to her book allowing the rest of the trip to pass quietly.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Creating a Whomping Willow

Rowan had always celebrated the twenty second of september with his family. The entire household, staff and all, would get together for that one day and have a feast surpassing anything he had ever seen else where. They would have a bonfire and the youngest member of the community who was old enough to carry the lit fag would have the honor of starting the ceremonial fire. They would then sing, dance, eat and tell stories of harvests long past. It was such a long standing tradition in his family that coming to Hogwarts and the shock of not only the sheer amount of people but the fact that the traditions and holidays he had been brought up on weren't even considered holidays was simply offensive and baffling to him. Rowan didn't say anything though. He was sure his almost friends Severus and Lily knew something was off though and when classes were let out he simply walked out the front doors to the school intent on paying his own homage to bounty that he and his family had received the previous year since it was clear that Hogwarts didn't hold by the same traditions his family did.

He took refuge under the whomping willow. Stupid name for a tree that just had a few charms cast on it to animate it and protect the passageway it was planted over. Even Rowan, as a first year with no real magical training could accomplish what they had. But none of the rest of the students had his unique talents and therefore without the freezing charm that Professor Dumbledore used when he lead Remus Lupin down into the tunnel everyone else would inspire the willow to attempt to bash them without actually being able to hit them. More of those charms that were placed on the willow. It didn't matter that students had been warned against messing with the tree, children would be children and if Dumbledore had two brain cells in his head he would do everything in his power to ensure that nothing harmed the children under his care.

He had been sitting under the whomping willow for several hours when Lily and Severus showed up. It's branches swinging idly around occasionally caressing him. Severus and Lily stood just outside of the range of the willow's branches. Their presence on a day that should have been spent with his family celebrating the change of seasons and the successful collection of the harvest was intrusive and enraged him like little else had ever done. They were standing a ways off from the ends of the willow's branches talking quietly and from their gestures Rowan could guess they were arguing. He'd be willing to bet that Lily was arguing to come join him and Severus was trying to convince her to just leave him alone. He felt a rush of appreciation and fondness for the other boy. He stood up still angry and walked towards them yelling

"Just leave me alone, how hard is that?" Severus he saw looked hurt but Lily, kind sweet gentle Lily got just as pissed as he was and snapped back

"Sorry if we aren't good enough for the great Rowan Broadmoor. Want us to lick your boots now too?" Rowan opened and closed his mouth several times. He wanted to scream at her, that she didn't understand. He wanted to tell her about how he was missing his baby sister and the fact that this was the first Mabon that she was old enough to participate in and would therefore be lighting the bonfire. To tell her that his way of life, the one that had been perfectly fine for every other member of his family was being denied him. He wanted to rant and rave until he was allowed to go home. Instead all he did was close his mouth and press the heels of his palms against his eyes and made a distressed noise in the back of his throat. It wouldn't do any good. He was trapped. In his pain, and anger he never noticed the whomping willow moving about in a wind all of it's own. Nor did he notice when his magic, barely controlled inside of himself at the best of times, started spilling out in clearly visible tendrils. He didn't even notice when his magic exploded out from him and the whomping willow took on a mind and life of it's own, absorbing the magic that was spilling uncontrollably out from him. All he knew then was the darkness of unconsciousness.

Hours later he woke up staring up at the inky black sky, not as clear as the one he was used too, that was further obscured by the whomping willow's leaves and branches as it moved to caress and check on him. He glanced around to see several teachers standing in the distance and Severus and Lily leaned against each other sound asleep. He moved very carefully as he tested his entire body to make sure he wasn't hurt. When nothing complained too loudly he sat up and wondered what had happened. Above him the willow creaked and groaned in a way that almost sounded intelligent to him. Gathering his things he stepped out away from the protection of the tree and was instanting set upon by the professors apparently lying in wait for him. The school nurse Madame Pomfrey started running medical scans as soon as he was in range of her wand making humming noises at the result. His head of house, Professor Sprout and the Deputy Headmistress Professor McGonagall started spouting questions at him without allowing him time to answer. He felt Lily and Severus come up beside him, and that somehow shocked the professors into quiet. They had apparently not known the other two were still outside. McGonagall took a deep breath and asked

"What were you thinking young man? Were you not informed about how dangerous the Whomping Willow is?" He shrugged and realized from her expression that something more was required of him.

"The willow won't hurt me. The plants are my friends. They understand me." He felt Lily's hand slip into his and Severus gently bump into his shoulder. Silent reminders that they were there for him too. He watched as McGonagall pursed her mouth closed in anger before she said

"Twenty point from Hufflepuff Mr. Broadmoor for endangering yourself and your classmates. You will write a three foot essay about why you didn't heed the warnings you were given about the Whomping Willow." He glared at her then. The willow would never hurt him. Not even with the new awareness he could feel coming from it. Why didn't she understand? His head of house stood in the background wringing her hands for a moment before she asked

"What spell did you use on the Whomping Willow lad? It won't respond to any of the charms we put in place to allow the Hogwarts staff to freeze it in the event of an emergency." Rowan looked at her like she had grown a second head. Charms? He had only learned three of four charms and only the levitation charm worked reliably for him but still he didn't say anything. Unfortunately Lily wasn't about to let the professors just gang up on him. She got right indignant on his behalf and said waspish tone to her voice

"He didn't do any charm. We told you that he was upset and lost control of his magic. We told you that the willow absorbed the magic that came off of Rowan and we told you that the tree changed when he passed out. That it gathered up Rowan and pulled him close to the trunk and violently kept everyone back. Even Professor Dumbledore. Why don't you believe us?" Rowan looked at Lily in awe, he had managed to make the tree change? His magic had broken all the charms that the teachers had placed on the willow to protect the tunnel underneath and turned what was once a safe and nearly docile set of magics into the angry protective force he could feel behind him? Rowan was impressed with himself in spite of the trouble he was in. He saw McGonagall pinch her nose before saying her tone exasperated

"Ms Evans, magic simply does not work like that." Rowan frowned at that and said

"My families magic does work like that though, and has for eight hundred years. We are wild mages and rarely have the ability to use magic like Hogwarts does. Until I came here I've never seen magic used how it's taught here." McGonagall's looked changed from exasperation into contemplation before she said

"I will contact your parents and discuss this with them. Until such time as I have spoken with them the punishment still stands and the essay will be turned in. As for you Ms Evans and you Mr Snape, ten points each for being out of your common rooms and out of doors past curfew. I will escort all three of your to your dormitories and I expect you to stay there. Am I understood?" Rowan nodded and saw Lily and Severus doing the same thing out of the corner of his eye. He had a feeling that they would be having a long talk about all of this later, but for now all was right with their friendship. Rowan let a small smile slide across his face as they followed McGonagall back into the castle.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Department of Mysteries with a twist and a shimmy, or enter the "Team"

If you knew that the person you were looking at when you took in the perfectly manicured nails, long fingered aristocratic hands, perfectly tailored suit, delicate complexion of cream that was fanatically maintained, pale silver grey eyes and a full head of white blonde hair cut scandalously short you would never think that such a person was the head of the Department of Mysteries. That the seemingly ageless man sitting so elegantly behind the hand carved oak desk completely covered in rolls of parchment, muggle file folders full of mission reports, unanswered messages, broken quills, a pen knife nearly hidden by a stack of books precariously stacked on a corner, a money pouch full of enchanted gold and what appeared at first glance to be a crystal ball until you noticed the pale pink lightening that played in the foggy clouds, was none other than Mirach Malfoy esteemed Head of the Department of Mysteries and the man involved in nearly every aspect of running the country.

The premier Unspeakable with more closed cases than the current top four agents combined had been an unpleasant surprise to both of his parents. Which if asked he would tell you was his saving grace. Left to the house elves and tutors to be raised and educated he was allowed the choice to think for himself without the brainwashing that his older brother Abraxas endured. As such Mirach was shunned from the sight of his parents and subsequently raised on tales of the Unspeakables and their great deeds by one particular governess who did everything in her power to keep the toddler from making enough noise to draw the unwanted attention of his parents. Mirach knew from the time he was old enough to choose what he wanted to be when he grew up. An Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries. So that's what he did. Seven years at Hogwarts, application after application and finally his dream was realized and it had been everything he had thought possible. Years passed and gossip slowly forgot about the black sheep of the Malfoy name. Mirach rose in the ranks until he was chosen to be the next Head of the Department of Mysteries. His only family became the men and women who stood beside him wearing the grey robes of an Unspeakable that he called brother and sister.

The year was 1974 and he had just received the most recent OWL exam results and the notes that had been added by the teachers for each student, if they had one. Most students just had a short note about acceptable behavior and grades that gave nothing into the child who had gained the scores he was looking over. Noting the names that he wanted to get to before either Dumbledore or Riddle got their claws into them he made a note on a spare bit of parchment floating around his desk of Narcissa Black, Morwenna Lestrange, James Potter, Sirius Black, Severus Snape, Lily Evans and Rowan Broadmoor. He knew that he would lose half of the kids he choose but it was always something he was willing to pursue. That and even if Riddle or Dumbledore got their hands on his candidates if they had been initiated they were Unspeakables first and anything else after. Spying was one of the duties of an Unspeakable.

Six of the seven children had been brought before him. The only one he was missing was Lily Evans. But as she was the only muggleborn among them he wasn't really surprised to not see her. She had such potential too with an apparent genius with charms and the ability to look through most concealing charms he was very interested in testing her limits. The children standing before him were no less impressive though. James Potter and Sirius Black showed to those with the sight to see it, the telltale markers that they were either very close or had achieved the ability to become animagi an unheard of feat in ones so young. That told Mirach that they were sneaky, clever, devious and driven. All traits that would help them succeed along the path to being an unspeakable. Severus Snape and Morwenna Lestrange showed an uncanny gift with potions, not mentioning Snape's ability to learn and create Dark magic like he was born to it. He had literally seen the Broadmoor's abilities when they had toured through the greenhouses. The herbalist had nearly had a heart attack as the devil's snare had reached out and caressed the child like he was a favored pet. The child had been amused and gently pet the plant before saying a few words that had sent it back to it's corner. Briar Edgecombe had pulled him aside after the children had been sent to the next part of the tour and apologized profusely as the snare was not normally so active or friendly. Mirach had simply smiled and told the man that the child had an uncanny gift with plants and if brought in would be part of Edgecombe's team. The other man had gotten very thoughtful for a few moments before the gleam of a genius wanting to test a theory entered his eyes. Mirach had chuckled as Briar had walked away mumbling to himself about the Broadmoor child.

Narcissa Black was probably the child that he was most interested in after the Evans girl. Narcissa had inherited some form of magic from her family line that gave her something special about seeing through concealing charms in an apparently different manner to Lily Evans. When asked about it she would only say that it was a Black tradition and then Sirius, her cousin, would pipe up becoming both protector and distraction. Mirach was very interested in her talent because unlike the Evans girl the only thing he could tell about the talent was that it was indeed a blood gift. The Evans girl had the marks of Fae around her, showing that in part her gift at sight was indeed a gift given to her as well as a blood gift. He was eager to test them against each other and see which gift was more powerful and complete.

Now they were standing before him in a neat row. He smirked at them and said

"Welcome to the Department of Mysteries. You have been given the tour of our facilities and have seen for yourselves what we can offer to yourselves if you can pass the training and initiation. Now I can see some animosity between some of you. That is fine, but remember once you don the black robes of an Unspeakable trainee there are no longer house rivalries, no longer any differences in blood purity, and especially no longer any childish squabbling. The Unspeakables are an elite group of the ministry. We do not follow rules, laws or regulations. We make them. If you believe you have what it takes to be an asset to this body than I will provide you with an initial contract that will state in delightfully confusing legalise that we the Unspeakables will provide food, lodging, training and education to the trainee for a period of five weeks and at the end of those weeks if you have triumphed we will induct you as full members into the department. At that time you will be free to make the choices you or your family deem appropriate. Bear in mind that the Unspeakables have no allegiance except to their brothers and sisters in the grey robes. It is why we wear grey, to show we are neither good nor bad, light nor dark. The Unspeakables merely are, and it will always be such. Now do you have any questions?" The teenagers looked at each other and James Potter asked

"What about our parents? What are we going to tell them? Most of us just can't disappear without a reason." Mirach smirked and said

"That will be your first test. Any others?" The six teens before him looked at each other obviously weighing options. It would be interesting to see which of the children managed to show up and which ones didn't. Mirach looked them over again, they were a sad bunch right now but there was such raw talent there that he was just itching to see them in action. Three equal pairs, with three sets of friendships to destroy and rebuild. It would be a challenge and a pleasure to make these children into Unspeakables.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - Say what, I can't hear you over the magic...

To one side of the Archives stood a pair of heavy plain brass doors, polished so they gleamed with a light all their own, which opened into a rough hewn chamber. Three hundred and sixty four days of a year the chamber stood empty and silent, except for one day every year the applicants to the Department of Mysteries were initiated in a ceremony that predated nearly every written record in existence. On that one day each applicant would stand before every single Unspeakable to have ever worn the pale grey robes and would be judged to determine if he or she were fit to swear the vows of fealty and silence to the Department; to don the vestments of an Unspeakable.

In neat ranks circling around an inlaid design of five circles and a compass rose were the Unspeakables. Both past and present. Thier gray robes with the hoods pulled up and over their faces faded in and out of the mist rising up from the floor of the chamber. Some looked as solid as the walls and floor of the room they stood so patiently in, others seemed to be merely a wisp of a memory. All were standing, waiting, and humming a monotonous tone that neither echoed nor changed. In the center of the room stood the Ritual Master clad in pristine white robes and three of his four elements dressed in red robes decorated with the signs of their masteries. The robes each wore not only masked their faces but also made them all seem to be exactly the same in height, weight, gender, and each would speak with the voice of their element masking their individual personalities completely. The Ritual Master, Severus had read, was typically the Head of the Department of Mysteries. The element Masters were chosen by the red ritual robes themselves that would simply appear to whomever had been chosen several days before the ceremony.

As Severus walked forward he observed that the person standing to his right in the eastern position, circle laid in yellow representing air, held a naked sword. Light glinted off the exposed blade with each step he took. To his left in the western position, the circle in blue representing water, held in their hands a plain hand molded clay cup that in the opposite effect of the sword seemed to absorb the light that hit it. He didn't see anyone to stand for earth as he walked through the green circle in the southern position, but just behind the shoulder of the Ritual Master stood another red robed figure in the northern position of fire. There was nothing in their hands and he didn't see anything around them to stand for their element the way the others did but that didn't mean anything when you had magic.

The Ritual Master beckoned him forward and he took his spot in the center of the circles on top of a seal that had been masterfully carved into the stone floor of an ax and a shield. He admired the carving for a few moments wondering what it represented before fixing his gaze firmly upon the Ritual Master who nodded at him and the sound of clapped hands rang briefly through the chamber. Immediately without hesitation silence reigned. The Ritual Master lifted upturned hands and spoke

"Be it known to all who have come, all who are present and all who will come that today the twenty second day of the roman calendar month September in the christian year of nineteen hundred and seventy four on this glorious day of Mabon where we honor the gods and the changing of the seasons from growth to harvest. On this day, as all Unspeakable destinies are, it has been foretold that Severus Tobias Snape last of the familial line Prince would submit before this exonerated body to be acknowledge, judged and if worthy in heart and soul embraced as kin. Kneel and be judged scion." Kneeling he kept his head up and stared at the Ritual Master. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the robed figure for air moving forward and seconds later he felt the cold kiss of steel along the side of his neck. A voice that sounded like the edges of time and echoed through the room like the sound of the wind ravaging over untamed lands spoke then,

"How is time best spent young scion?" His answer was immediate, his voice strong cutting through the unnerving echo of the red robed figure.

"Time is best spent living elder." The sword was withdrawn nicking his skin slightly as the figured said

"The Master of Air standing in the Eastern position has tasted the blood of the scion, and tested his mettle and found him worthy of the name he claims. We accept him as brother."

As soon as the Air master was finished speaking a feeling of heavy sleepiness stole through his limbs making it a challenge to keep his head up and his gazed locked on the Ritual Master. A voice behind him spoke, the echo's making his bones ache at the deep rumbling tones.

"Tell me supplicant, where do you find the wealth of the world?" This time his answer took longer, as he had to fight through the fuzziness of his head.

"The wealth of the world is found in kin, elder." He could almost feel his answer being weight before the Earth Master spoke again

"In the Southern position the Master of Earth has tasted the supplicants magic, and tested his integrity. We find him honorable and we accept him as brother." The heavy sleepy feeling dissipated as suddenly as it begain and he found it easier to focus on the Ritual Master.

It was then that a chilling feeling of being immersed in icy black water surrounded him. Cutting off his ability to see and hear. All he could feel was the freezing water, all he could hear were the whispering words of the Water Master

"Hear me well petitioner and answer me true for I am the Master of Water. Eons and ages have come and gone and will come and go again. What is the only inevitability in life?" His lungs burned as he felt like he was drowning, and his answer was hard to find through the panic but his voice was steady when he said

"Death is the only inevitability and the only truth." The Water Master seemed to make a humming noise that sounded like tiny waves bathing a sandy shore before he was asked another question

"Do you fear death petitioner?" Shivering, his vision turning red as he fought to breath and even though he could still draw a breath it felt like he was only sucking in water, his response was no less steady as he said

"I fear a mindless death with no meaning. I fear the deaths of innocent lives taken without reason or thought. I do not fear dying." As suddenly as it had arrived the feeling of drowning disappeared and he was nearly panting with relief. His gaze rested on the Ritual Master once more. The Water Master spoke up saying,

"I am the Water Master who stands on the other side of the veil and hold the Western position. I have tasted the petitioner's spirit and found it strong. I have tested his commitment and found it unwavering. I accept him as brother." It was then that the last red robed Master stepped in front of the Ritual Master and he felt like he had been set on fire as his eyes locked with the red ones of the Fire Master. Words hissed and popped in his mind reminiscent of a log fire on a cold winter day, as the Fire Master held his gaze and brushed right past all of his occlumency shields.

"Beggar child of the dead kings, you are unworthy to stand before me. Your soul is tainted with unclean magic, with the desire of a woman, with the need to belong. Tell me, beggar child, who holds the strings to your heart?" Nearly crying with the pain he said

"Elder, it is true my soul has touched dark magic and in great quantities, that my body yearns for the touch of a lover, and my mind wishes only to find somewhere to be accepted, but my heart belongs only to myself and I belong to the Department." The feeling of being set on fire faded until all he could feel was the cold stone of the floor and the carved motif digging into his shins. His gaze was still held captive by the Fire Master and he heard whispered in his mind

" The future is perilous beggar child, guard you mind and magic well." He did gasp then as a very fine, excessively strong shield wrapped around his mind sealing it from even the enchanting gaze of the Fire Master before the red Robed figure said to the entire assembly

"In the Northern position the Master of Fire has tested the hopefuls mind. We find him loyal without fault and we accept him as brother." The white robed Ritual Master nodded and said

"Arise scion, and be embraced as kin." Severus rose and before anyone could move the motif that he had been kneeling on lit up and glowed as he was engulfing once more.

This time he was not subjected to the pain of the Elemental trials. His eyes opened on an empty place of white with only one other being with him. A shadowed viking dressed for battle carrying a shield and a battle ax approached him and said

"It has been nearly 100 years since any worth has stood upon my seal and passed the tests of strength, integrity, commitment and loyalty as you have young Prince. I have known decades of your ascendant's, but you are the only one who could raise your name from ashes in the manner bespeaking of a Phoenix. I judge you one final time and find in you the moral integrity to do what is right before what is easy, I see in you a Darkness that will be put to great use, though I caution you young Prince to always remember the Light. I give into your soul the gift of Shadow to smooth your path for it is a long and difficult one. Hold out your sword arm, kin." Severus reached out with his right arm and it was fiercely grabbed by the shadowed warrior seconds before a very powerful, very immense, very old presence ripped through his entire being. He felt as if he were being taken apart and remade in the image of the shadowed viking before him. Magic poured through his veins burning out the light and the darkness, leaving only shades of grey and shadow behind. The pain seemed to go on forever before settling into a fierce burning on his right arm that slowly subsided. When he blinked again he was back in the Ritual chamber with the other Unspeakables. Only now as he looked down on his right arm, to find an exact replica of the shadowed warrior he had spoken too. The edges were slightly red and swollen and even as he and the Ritual Master watched the image faded into soft lines and grey tones mimicking a warrior in shadows. The Ritual Master stepped forward and said

"Severus Tobias Snape, we bid you welcome as kin and an Unspeakable. May the trials of tomorrow guide you today." And with those words it felt like a spell had been lifted and a great cheer went out around the room. Hoods were thrown back, and familiar faces were revealed. He could see Anders, who had trained him in dueling flirting with a green haired witch. In front of him pushing his hood back, and revealing that the Ritual Master was indeed the Head of the Unspeakables, Mirach Malfoy, who smiled down at him. The Elemental Masters were revealed to be Dana Kidds, the shortest woman he had ever met who kept everyone on their toes with her sharp wit and sharper blades, Kennith Smith who was head of the Potions Guild, Druella Rosier who he knew only by name and made a mental note to speak with her later as it was clear to him that she could teach him how to be a better occlumens. He looked around for the Water Master only to have Kennith sneer at him saying

"The Water Master has always been, and always will be an Unspeakable that has passed beyond life. They step across for a few brief moments to assist in inducting new members and then fade back to the other side. You might see them again on Halloween night when the distance between life and death is shortened but don't hold your breath." Sighing Severus replied

"It's ok Kennith, I used to believe in things too." For a brief moment he thought that Kennith was going to belittle him for his decidedly snarky turn of phrase but in the end the other man shook his head and laughed. Severus watched as he turned away calling over his shoulder

"I'll expect the list I left in your chambers to be accomplished in two weeks Snape. If you can manage that, and school, then we will talk about this upcoming summer and your apprenticeship."

Looking around Severus sighed in contentment, he had been accepted all that was left were the unbreakable oaths of silence to not disclose what he saw and did for the department of mysteries then he would be returned to Hogwarts to continue his fourth year. The hardest part would be to not use his knowledge of potions and spells in class, he wasn't suppose to be more competent than the professors.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - Please sir, I would like a one way ticket to hell...

Fifth year was almost done, he had been an Unspeakable for almost two years, it would be exactly two years in four months. But right then he had a debacle to stage with Potter and his miscreants. Potter, Black and himself had planned this out hopefully to perfection. It was just about his last chance to get an in with Lucius Malfoy. Despite his best attempts he had not been able to garner the invitation to join the Death Eaters that either his Grandfather or the Unspeakables wanted. It was the first step to a very long, excessively planned plan that would hopefully result in the culmination of both Tom Riddle and Albus Dumbledore being taken out of power for once and for all.

After they had all passed through the training and trials to become an Unspeakables, Potter and Black had both separately offered to cease hostilities with him and the other Slytherins. But that would have been suspicious and wouldn't have given him the ability to make a scene like he was about too. It also would have saved him the humiliation he was about to endure but that was besides the point. Lucius needed to see that he was more than capable of being one of their social elite. So at the agreed upon time he was sitting under the agreed upon tree, reading a book about wandless casting, something he had recently been having issues with, when James Potter and gang descended upon him. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Lucius Malfoy was in residence at the castle currently and was watching from a distance.

Being levitated in the air was not a pleasant experience and the sudden impact with the ground was unexpected and even less pleasant. He caught a panicked look from Black as Lily walked up. That had been his only stipulation in the entire ordeal. That Lily be left alone. Frustrated she was ruining everything he said the only thing that he could think of to get her to go away. He called her a dirty little mudblood. He saw the looks from Potter and Black and wondered just what was going through their little minds. Hopefully they would finish the ploy and allow the entire ordeal to be worth it. Hopefully he could explain it to Lily later. Or Rowan could since she likely wouldn't talk to him again for sometime; if ever.

Things had gone smoothly after Lily had run away. Potter and Black had finally managed to string him up in the tree, like they had agreed upon and had proceeded to mock him as best they could while leaving alone anything that was actually humiliating, like the time he had blown up an experimental potion and turned himself green for two whole weeks. It only took them three tries to get him situated well enough in the tree he wasn't going to simply fall right back out. He could see that they were trying not to hurt him, and he could appreciate that they were trying to cause him the least amount of damage possible but you would think that the brightest boys in their grade would be able to levitate him into a tree well enough not to worry about him breaking his neck if he fell. He was caught though and that was when Lucius decided to step in. The Marauders were chastised and sent off. He was ripped out of the tree, causing twice as much damage than what Potter had managed and then he was face to face with Lucius Malfoy. Scowling he sneered and waited for the other boy to start. If this didn't work in his favor he was out of ideas and he really didn't want to try and do this backwards. The idea of being wholly Dumbledore's man sickened him. Lucius just looked him over once and said

"Would you like the chance to get revenge? To get revenge on all the filthy halfbloods, blood traitors and mudbloods who have ever humiliated you?" Nearly rolling his eyes at the heavy handed way Lucius attempted to rub salt in what would have been a gaping raw wound if it hadn't been a staged production for Lucius's benefit. He sneered again and demanded,

"What did you have in mind?" Lucius just smirked and said

"There is a Death Eater revel in two weeks. You will receive coordinates a few hours before hand. If you can manage to get there then you get in, until the fun starts of course." Severus schooled his features blank as he nodded. The Unspeakables had taught him to apparate as part of his training but he didn't really want Lucius to know that. At least not just yet so he just nodded allowing just the hint of unease to slip from out behind his mask. Just enough that Lucius cackled as he walked away with his minions. Rookwood caught his eye as he turned and winked. As soon as their backs were turned and he felt as if he could let his guard down he smirked in triumph. He was in, getting to the revel was simple and he was almost positive that the training the Shadowed warrior had been giving him in his dreams would be a hundred times worse than what some spoiled cultish purebloods could come up with. He caught sight of Lily's red hair to the side of the castle and wondered if he could ever gain her forgiveness but he had a feeling that if he hadn't called her a mudblood Lucius would never have made his offer. It felt like a catch twenty two. Sighing he wandered off towards the Slytherin dorms. He needed to report to Mirach that he had gained entry to the Death Eaters.

Later that night he slipped out of the dorms wreathed in silence just another shadow among the darkness. Stepping up to the door for the Come and Go room he inferred that Potter and Black were already present, stepping through the door he noticed that the decorations were a neutral sitting area and Potter and Black were already waiting. They both looked up at his entrance and panicked stricken looks passed over their faces for a brief moment as they jumped to their feet. the panic lasted only until they noticed that he was not noticeably armed and didn't appear angry. In all honesty he was just tired. He wandered in and sat down in the last chair with all the poise that his Grandfather could train into him and asked without a hint of sarcasm

"What can I do for you gentleman?" Potter took a deep breath and said

"We wanted to apologize Snape. I figure at one point in time that would have been a riot but now that we've gotten to know you a bit you aren't nearly as bad as we thought." Black took up then saying

"Besides you're one of us and we're one of you so it's all the same now." Sighing and shaking his head he said wondering silently if Black actually thought about the words that came out of his mouth, he responded

"I get what you're saying, I do honestly. I'm not mad, not even about Lily. I wish she'd let me explain but everything that happened was necessary to gaining entry into the Death Eaters. The girls aren't suited, you guys are both the morally upstanding Gryffindors that wouldn't possibly ever go over to the Dark side and Rowan has a much too unstable temper to trust to keep his cool in dealings with people like Lucius Malfoy. Rookwood will watch my back so no need to worry there. And I'll even consent to letting you patch me back up Black." That got him amused looks. It had surprised everyone but Mirach that Sirius had ended up being exceptionally good at healing charms. Potter's response wasn't one he was expecting though,

"I'm glad we aren't actually going back to hating each other. Though we should probably come up with a code name for you and the others. Easier to communicate that way." Severus sighed but nodded at the logic of the idea. It would make it easier to communicate since it would allow them to use regular post rather than finding moments to slip notes or meet like they were now. He watched Black look him over before the other boy asked

"You get your animagus yet?" Severus snorted but didn't ask how Black of all people knew he had even been working on it. Black had been one to figure out how Mirach saw so much about each of them before they themselves really knew. Shaking his head he said

"Yes, I achieved my animagus, as I'm sure you can see." Black shook his head and said

"I can't see if you actually managed it or not. Just they your magic has accepted the form, so you could have just been close to getting it for all I know. So what are you?" Looking at the two of them he hesitated and asked

"You won't tell anyone?" They nodded and he said

"I'm a bat. Specifically a Ryukyu flying fox." Potter looked at Black and said with all seriousness in his tone

"Well that could be useful." Severus chuckled and said

"If you come up with half of what I use the form for you'll be close. The Department has been training me for this role since I joined. I've gotten pretty good at being sneaky." Potter nodded and Black said

"What about Eclipse?"Severus made a face and shook his head. Potter snapped his fingers and said

"I know, Dova! It's swedish for muffled or deadened." Black gave Potter a funny look but Severus rolled the word around in his head and nodded liking the sound and the meaning and said

"I like it. Deal. Dova." Black just looked at him like he had grown a second head before mumbling

"No accounting for taste." Chuckling Severus just shook his head and listened with half an ear as nicknames for Narcissa and Morwenna were suggested and discarded. If this was what having friends was about than he was all for it, it was nice to be able to just sit and relax with people his age talking about nonsense.


End file.
